Azula Forever
by RebLaw
Summary: What if Azula had been born unable to firebend? What if Zuko had been the favored child growing up? [AU]
1. Chapter 1

Azula Forever

Chapter 1

By: RebLaw

Note: This is an AU story. It is in the same time period about as the Avatar TV show, with the same characters. There is only one minor change. Azula was born unable to firebend. (Which actually changes more than you would think.)

PS: I know my story Stockholm Syndrome is stalled, I'm rehashing the whole story, at the time I wrote it I didn't realize how unfocused it was, I'm editing it now and will start to post revised chapters soon.

-.-.-.-.-

It was the day. It was the day of her brother's Embarking Ceremony. Azula woke before it was light out. She had been planning for this day for years.

Her brother, Zuko, was Ozai's favorite. There were no words in any known language to describe the depth of her hatred towards him. But she would not oppose him openly, not in the palace.

Now he was going to leave the palace. In place of the best guard, her eccentric uncle was going to watch over him. It couldn't have been more perfect if she had planned it herself.

She caresses the bottle that would be her brother's downfall - that would be her key to the throne. Light shone through the bottle, adding a red-tint to its shadow. Red was the color of the Fire Nation's royalty and military. Ozai only had two children, and no wife. If something happened to the first born…

"My lovely young lady," a doddering white haired woman interrupted the princess with a gentle smile. "My, you're up early this fine morning. All excited for your brother I suppose."

"Of course Nana," Princess Azula replied with biting sarcasm. She quietly hid a bottle in the folds of her night robe. "What kind of a sister would I be if I weren't?"

"Do you want me to help you get dressed now?" the old woman asked.

-.-.-.-.-

"Why do I have to take that worthless old fool with me!" the young man demanded, hitting the wall with his fist. "He'll just slow me down."

"But it is tradition," the chamberlain said. "Iroh is the only uncle you have. He used to be a respected general as well."

"Exactly - he used to be- now he's a tea-obsessed simpleton. What good is meaningless tradition anyway!" he growled. "Pomp and circumstance with no real meaning."

"Don't say that master Zuko," the servant pleaded. "It means a lot to the people. They expect it, and they'll respect you for following it. You do still want to be Fire Lord after your father right?"

"Of course," Zuko replied quietly, realizing his mistake. "I want to be a good Fire Lord and have the support of my people. Even in ways I think are foolish."

"That reminds me," the chamberlain said with the slightest smile on his face. "Did you ask your father…?"

".. If I could bring you along on the quest?" Zuko finished. "No, he wants me to go with Iroh and the crew he's chosen for a reason."

"Alright," the servant sighed, playing on the sympathies of the young prince. "I guess I'd understand if you didn't want a doddery old man along, just slowing you down."

"No – Hinoh," Zuko said, putting a hand on the older man's shoulder. "You've never been anything but helpful to me. I'll ask father."

-.-.-.-.-

It was an hour and a half before the Ceremony would begin. Azula had been dressed and rehearsing what she was going to say for hours. She had to be perfect, same as always, but it was more important this time. To get caught meant execution for treason. And that would get in the way of her plans.

She listened through the door, she wanted to be sure to present the bottle to Zuko when he was alone. Good, no noise.

Knock, knock.

"Coming," a familiar voice said. It wasn't the voice she was expecting.

It was Iroh's voice. It wasn't what she expected, but it wasn't the end of the world.

"Uncle! How nice to see you," Azula greeted the Dragon of the West.

"Azula, I was not expecting to see you here," Iroh replied in his normal slow manner. "You shouldn't disturb your brother before the big ceremony."

"Move it Uncle," Azula snapped. "I'm his sister. I get to say a private good-bye to my only brother."

Iroh sighed, and left. The retired general had learned that some battles just weren't worth fighting.

"Azula," Zuko was facing the wall of his room. "I can't say I expected you to come see me."

"Don't be silly brother," Azula said smiling, and lying. "Of course I'd want to wish my only brother a successful trip. I wanted to be the first to do so."

"You're no where near the first," Zuko muttered. Everyone he had met so far that day had wished him well.

"What!" Azula snapped, before regaining her composure. "I wanted to give you a gift."

Zuko looked at his sister, sure the "gift" she had in mind was part of some sort of underhanded scheme. But he felt sorry for her.

"Here," Azula said shortly, thrusting out a wine bottle. "I went through great difficulty to obtain it. It's a bottle of the rarest wine in the world. Air Nomad wine."

"Thank you," Zuko said, amazed that his sister endowed on him such an expensive gift. "I'll drink it when I return home with the Avatar. It'll be fitting."

"No!" Azula yelled, before catching herself yet again. "Drink it for luck brother. When you're starting out on the trip."

Zuko shrugged, deciding to humor her. "Fine."

-.-.-.-.-

Zhao wasn't having a good day.

It was two hours into the ceremony, and it was only half over.

And his feet hurt.

He had just separated from his wife of nine years a little over a month ago.

He missed her, but siring a worthy heir was more important.

Standing up on stage, watching a ceremony for his cousin once removed who was the only real obstacle in his way to the throne. He hoped this would be the last he'd see of the boy.

But, Prince Zuko had a sister, Princess Azula. Zhao remembered visiting the two of them the boy was a toddler, barely able to walk, just shooting off his first sparks. The girl was a baby. He had heard rumors that she was completely unable to firebend.

It hit him with a shock that the beautiful young woman he stared at while lost in this thoughts was Princess Azula. In his mind she was still just a little baby. No where near the age of courting.

She had the best of both her parents in terms of looks, her mother's delicate features, but her father's strong expression. He had never considered his little baby cousin could've grown into such a beautiful maiden.


	2. Chapter 2

Azula Forever

Chapter 2

By: RebLaw

Note: This is an AU story. It is in the same time period about as the Avatar TV show, with the same characters. There is only one minor change. Azula was born unable to firebend. (Which actually changes more than you would think.)

There are going to be some scenes omitted that appeared in the TV show (it should be obvious which ones) they will be implied, but not retold as they will not changed.

This is a really short but really dense chapter. I'm sorry it's taking so long, I'm working full time and being a lazy-butt when I'm not working.

-.-.-.-.-

It had been a year since Zuko had boarded the ship on his quest. The red silk ceremonial robes that had been worn on the day of leaving had spent the year collecting dust.

Azula had inquired every day as to the status of her brother. The magistrate thought it was so cute how she "cared" so much about her brother and looked sad every day she was told that her brother was in good health but the Avatar had not been found.

With each passing day it grew more and more apparent to her that her plan had failed. Either the poison failed, or her stupid brother forgot about it. It became evident to her that she would need to go abroad to finish her brother off.

While her father likely didn't care what she did, as long as it did not affect him, she did not wish for rumors to spread. She was aware she'd need the publics support to take the throne away from her Uncle Iroh and cousin Zhao.

Women did not ascend to the throne often in Fire Nation history; it was uncommon but not unheard of.

There was once a great warrior queen, ChiuLing. ChiuLing ascended to the throne after dispatching her tyrannical brother. She was considered the first fire bender and the matriarch of the modern Fire Nation royal line.

-.-.-.-.-

"Good news for this Fire Lord," Iroh said as Zuko who was watching his prey which had just escaped. "The nation's greatest threat is just a little kid."

Zuko glared at Iroh. What had been shaping up to be the best day of his life, capturing the Avatar, a feat which would secure him a place in Fire Nation history, was quickly turning into one of his worst. The Avatar had escaped. Not just that, but his stupid, worthless uncle was now making jokes in a stupid attempt to make him feel better.

"Shut up," Zuko snapped. "I won't underestimate him again."

Iroh sighed and went to help melt the crewmen.

The young prince surveyed the damage the "little kid" had done to his ship. The foredeck was damaged. The prince barked orders to his crewmen to melt the ice.

He hoped the damage was only superficial.

It wasn't. A good portion of the food and supplies were destroyed. The soldiers tried to salvage what food they could, but in the end they could only salvage enough to make it back to Fire Nation territory.

Even though the bottle of poisoned wine Azula had given him had been destroyed, Zuko wasn't happy.

-.-.-.-.-

I t was common for Princess Azula to receive between five and twenty-five letters a day from men containing various invitations, from seemingly innocent invitations to private parties and social events to marriage requests. One day she even received proposals from five men of the same family.

Normally she ignored them. She hadn't found the perfect husband; they were always the wrong age, too willful, or completely spineless. The princess needed a man strong enough to take the throne, but weak enough to give it to her.

There was only one man she had found that had any chance of fulfilling her requirements. Her second cousin, Lieutenant Zhao.

She decided to test the waters, visiting him with a gift. The princess had had no problem securing a promotion for the lieutenant, as he had been showing promise anyway, captain wasn't that high of a rank. Azula needed to see how he'd react to the news before she could decide if he was worthy of her.

So about the time Zuko left to visit the Fire Nation Naval port, Azula had arrived and given Zhao the news.


	3. Chapter 3

Azula Forever

Chapter 3

By: RebLaw

Note: This is an AU story. It is in the same time period about as the Avatar TV show, with the same characters. There is only one minor change. Azula was born unable to firebend. (Which actually changes more than you would think.)

-.-.-.-.-

"Hold on," the gruff deep voice said as a hand grabbed wrist. "You don't want to know out there."

"And why not?" Azula asked, rolling her eyes. She pulled her wrist free. "You may be the commander around here, but this is Fire Nation property and I am the princess."

She motioned the elderly silver-haired matron, who started fire bending towards the man.

"Your brother is here," Zhao stated. "You don't want him to see you. Do you?"

"And why is that Commander Zhao?" she asked, still irked that he had dared to grab her wrist. "Please, give me an interesting explanation. If you do I might even spare your life."

"If he sees you here with me," the commander explained. "He'll know something's up. I could see the suspicion in his eyes when I announced that I had been promoted."

"That's your problem, not mine." With that reply from the princess, the silver haired matron's fire began to weave towards him.

"I can't afford him running away," Zhao said quickly as the flames began to lick his flesh. "I want to be the next Fire Lord."

"Stop!" Azula commanded her silver haired chaperone. She stared at Zhao intensely. "What did you just say Zhao, cousin of my father, commander of the Fire Nation Navy?"

"I said that I want to be the next Fire Lord," Zhao spat, still in pain over his burns.

"Well well," Azula purred, smiling. "And here I thought this was going to be a boring trip."

Zhao raised an eyebrow. "You know the only way the throne could pass to me is if…"

"My brother were to be killed," Azula finished with a malevolent smile. "I know. I wish to help you with that noble task."

-.-.-.-.-

During an angi kai was the only time he could legally kill Zuko. Azula had given him perfect advice on how to goad him into it.

It wasn't that difficult of a task. Zuko was known to be a hot-head, proud, overconfident, unyielding, and foolish. Getting the boy to agree to an angi kai was all too easy.

The admiral despite his age was in excellent physical condition. He made sure that Azula would watch him. It was the perfect chance for him to impress her. He couldn't have planned it any better if he had tried.

He snickered as he overheard Iroh try to impart some common sense advice to his nephew. There was no way anything the retired general told the boy would be helpful. Zhao was a fire bending master; the boy was a mediocre student.

"This will be over quickly," Zhao announced.

Zhao attacked aggressively, keeping Zuko on the defensive. Iroh shouted encouragements and advice to the boy.

Master Jeong Jeong had taught him that the best defense for a fire bender was a good offense, and Zhao was a master at that. Zuko fell back, further and further, until Zhao was calculating the final blow then the adolescent did something surprising, he knocked him off his feet.

Zhao fell backwards, he was prone and the prince had the advantage, so much so that the match was his.

"Do it," Zhao ordered, knowing full well that he would be able to defend against it and keep the angi kai going.

-.-.-.-.-

Azula's face frowned as if she had smelled a distasteful odor. Zhao was supposed to be a fire bending master who studied under the great Jeong Jeong. How pathetic.

But the trip wasn't a total waste; Zhao was a very good tool, very loyal. She was able to gleam some useful information out of him. Apparently the Avatar was alive, well, and capturing him was a problem her brother.

Clearly this wasn't a task she could delegate out, but still, it would be helpful to have a co-conspirator. Azula turned away just as Zhao picked himself up and tried to attack Zuko from behind only to be blocked by Iroh.


	4. Chapter 4

Azula Forever

Chapter 4

By: RebLaw

Note: This is an AU story. It is in the same time period about as the Avatar TV show (Ep 3 and Ep 12), with the same characters. There is only one minor change. Azula was born unable to firebend.

This chapter is dedicated to Hotspur, 'cuz it's got IrohxZuko family-love fluff in it (no, not incest, incest is BADDDDD!).

-.-.-.-.-

Zhao failed her. It seemed either her brother had gotten better at firebending, or Zhao was not as skilled as she had thought. Sure Zhao was a master, but he lacked the insight of a true warrior. Azula decided that she couldn't trust Zhao to accomplish much based on talent.

But she did learn something useful; apparently the Avatar was alive, able-bodied, and afoot. Not only that, but her brother wanted to capture him desperately. That was one of very few things Azula and Zuko had in common, both were dedicated and ambitious. Both let their passions get away from them, the great difference was, Azula was more aware of it. She knew how to use it against Zuko.

Zhao might not be able to capture the Avatar, but he could get others to do that for him. Between the two of them, Azula was certain they could pull the resources necessary to capture the foe. She was fairly certain she could count on Zhao's support, his pride had just been injured after all, and if there was one thing she learned from watching her father in court it was that honor was more important than life.

But, her plan required that she return to the Fire Nation capital, to call in some favors.

-.-.-.-.-

Iroh solemnly walked back to the ship. He had just saved Zuko's life, while he hadn't done that just to be praised by his distant nephew, he did feel a quick "thanks" was owed.

But the boy said nothing the whole way to the ship. Iroh cleared his throat when they got to the ship.

"Are you feeling ill Uncle?" Zuko asked.

"No, no, I'm fine," Iroh replied, a thin smile appearing at the corners of his mouth.

-.-.-.-.-

It took much more effort than Azula had anticipated. But the princess was proud of her accomplishment. She remembered, from her history lessons, that the Fire Nation used the YuYan archers to exterminate the Air Nomads. Unfortunately, there was only a small group of the archers left, and they were all under the control of Colonel Shinu. He didn't want to share, even with the princess.

But, of course, she had ideas with how to deal with it. While her rank as "princess" held little sway with traditionalist military men such as Shinu, she knew others she could manipulate to work around him. She was confident he'd give her the archers, by hook or by crook.

-.-.-.-.-

"Hey Zuko, I've got a surpri-" Iroh said as he barged into his teenage nephew's room. His brain malfunctioned at what he saw.

"Shhh," Zuko hissed as he motioned for Iroh to enter the room.

"Zuko," Iroh began trying to be diplomatic. "I don't understand. What is going on?"

As Zuko finished putting on a dark suit, he shortly stated "Hand me the blue mask."

"Where are you going?" Iroh asked, as he handed the mask to the prince. "What are you going to be doing?"

Zuko looked his uncle in the eye. "I'm going to find out what Zhao's up to. He has more resources at his disposal, so he might have information that would be helpful."

"That sounds like a wise plan," Iroh said approvingly, he didn't really think so but he didn't want to rock the boat now that he and Zuko were getting along. "Just be sure to not get caught."

-.-.-.-.-

Zhao was pleased with himself. He had done just as Azula had instructed and was able to pull rank of Colonel Shinu and receive the YuYan archers. And true to her word, her brother had been watching as it had transpired.

Now all he had to do was capture the Avatar. It wouldn't be difficult, the grandfather's of the YuYan archers were the ones who made the airbenders extinct a hundred years ago. Surely the could capture a boy, no matter how clever the boy was.

He had had a run-in with the boy not too long ago, in a temple, but Zuko had been there and kept him from apprehending the Avatar. Zuko was too ambitious.


	5. Chapter 5

Azula Forever

Chapter 5

By: RebLaw

Note: This is an AU story. It is in the same time period about as the Avatar TV show (Ep 3 and Ep 13), with the same characters. There is only one minor change. Azula was born unable to firebend.

Thank you to everyone who commented. I'm very glad people read and like this story. Comments mean a lot to me.

-.-.-.-.-

The YuYan archers did the trick. After numerous capture attempts failing, Aang, the Avatar, was captured. The boy struggled against bonds which he couldn't break, as Azula watched from out of sight. It was a boring job, but she was the only one who she trusted to do it right.

Everything was going just as Azula had planned, for once. Zhao had even put the Avatar in the room Azula had specified. The information had been leaked to Iroh's informant. Everything was in its place.

While she waited for her brother she couldn't help but wonder what all the fuss was about—the Avatar appeared to merely be a child. A child who would bring about her true destiny as the future Fire Lady, no – Fire Empress.

-.-.-.-.-

"I'm leaving Uncle," Zuko said as he barged into his uncle's room.

Iroh was just starting to make tea. "Leaving for where?"

"Zhao's captured the Avatar," Zuko explained.

"And you want to steal him back? Why are you telling me this" Iroh asked, thinking his nephew had a finally lost it.

"No," Zuko said. "I'd risk dishonoring myself if I did that. I want to talk to the Avatar."

"Why?" Iroh asked. "He's just a little kid. There aren't any more of his kind or anything. And Zhao dislikes you."

"That's why I want to," Zuko stated. "If Zhao is a valuable as a military asset, I want to be on good terms with him. I will be the next Fire Lord after all."

"Fine," Iroh said, a bit confused. "Have fun."

-.-.-.-.-

If there was one person Zhao was not expecting to show up at the door of his office, on that particular night, it would've been his mother, who was dead, or his father, who he had never known. But that was not the case. It was the third to last person he never expected to see at his door.

"Prince Zuko?!" Zhao said questioningly, before he took hold of the situation. "What are you doing here? You're here to see the Avatar aren't you?"

"Yes Admiral Zhao I am," Zuko said in a quiet voice. He didn't how Zhao was behaving.

"Well, come with me," the admiral said, bearing an incredibly fake grin. "I'd be more than happy to show the prince of the Fire Nation our latest achievement."

Zhao lead Zuko down a labyrinth of hallways to a well guarded door.

"This is where the Avatar is being held PRINCE ZUKO," Zhao announced, saying Zuko's name unusually loudly. "Please go in and inspect him. We captured him alive just as instructed."

Zuko frowned, and went into the room. The bald-headed monk was barely conscious and really in no shape to do anything. His arms and legs were bound. and spread apart so bending would be impossible.

Something caught Zuko's eye, a thin string running across the base of the wall was ignited and a spark was traveling down it.

-.-.-.-.-

A large pile of rubble occupied which the Avatar had been imprisoned and Zuko had been standing. Zhao and the guards present couldn't rescue the Avatar in time; the poor Avatar didn't really even have a chance, chained up, unable to move, barely awake.

Azula walked out of the shadows. She calmly advised Zhao, "You'd better go explain to your men what just happened… Especially the part about how you had nothing to do with it, it was Earth Kingdom rebels."

"The Avatar wasn't supposed to die," Zhao growled.

"Sorry, it couldn't be help," Azula said shrugging. "Zuko had to die. Just think of it as the price you pay to become Fire Lord."

Zhao sighed, Azula was always right. He went to deal with the men who would have a lot of questions.

"Farewell dearest older brother," Azula said in a mockingly sweet voice to the pile of rocks where her brother had been. "It really is a pity that you had to get in the way of my destiny. You would've looked lovely in the portrait of my royal family after I ascended to the throne."

-.-.-.-.-

But, sadly for Azula, Zuko was not quite dead yet. And Zhao, who was demoted over the Avatar's death (and left the military to open a tea shop with Iroh), never bothered to write her to let her know that Zuko's body had never been found. So there was no way she could see it coming when her "dearest older brother" paid her a visit, to "discuss" what had happened that day.

FINIS


End file.
